The use of temporary or semi-permanent shelters or low income/affordable housing units has increased in view of situations such as natural disasters, resettlement, overpopulation in economically disadvantaged regions, military applications to house personnel and equipment, temporary accommodations on construction sites, and the need for space in special social events and exhibitions.
The prior art teaches the use of prefabricated portable shelters or housing units for use in applications where immediate shelter and protection for persons and property is required. Unfortunately, the portable shelters or housing units of the prior art suffered from many disadvantages.
The main disadvantage is the limited transportability of such shelters or housing units. Transporting the prefabricated structures to the desired site can pose difficulties. This is due to the fact that the structures are very large (shipping volume) and require transportation means specially adapted to transport them.
As a result of the necessity for special transportation means, the cost for obtaining the special permits required for moving the oversized structures, and the inaccessibility of the roads to the special vehicles needed to transport the structures, the transportation of the prefabricated structures of the prior art can be quite expensive.
Another disadvantage is the time and effort required to un-pack, assemble, and mount the prefabricated structure onto the foundation. Typically, large cranes, jacks, lifting devices, customized tools, and skilled crews must be used to set the unit and then to unfold partial walls, roof, and floor of the structure. Once erected, further assembly and construction is often required to make it structural and weather tight.
Another disadvantage of the known prefabricated shelters of the prior art is that they require the connection of different panels by using conventional permanent fastening means, including nails, nuts and screws and the like. The use of permanent fasteners often make it inconvenient to knock down, dissemble the structure for removal and if required relocated to a different site; thus, it is not very portable, and often result in the loss of some of the parts used to refasten or connect the various parts at a new site. Furthermore, assembling the structure in the field requires special tools, which sometimes are not readily available from one site to another site.
Frequently, a need arises for a large number of structures to be rapidly erected in a given location. These requirements are often the result of natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, hurricanes, and in some instances war. In these exigencies, rapid response is critical. The prior art prefabricated shelters require a lot of storage space. Due to their size and manner of construction, storing a large number of ready to use shelters according to the prior art is complicated.
The present inventor thought of the necessity of storing a large number of units in a relatively small space; thus, making them ready for quick transport to the desired site. In addition, the present inventor thought of the necessity of providing a prefabricated shelter which is relatively easy to assemble and reduces the amount of manpower needed to assemble the structure, and in most cases non-skilled labor is required.